Monday, April 4, 2016

In the eighth in the New York Times bestselling series by the author of Dark Chocolate Demise, the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew goes double or nothing in Vegas...

Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are taking a gamble by opening their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, so where better to hit the jackpot than in Vegas? Business manager Tate Harper has lined up a meeting with Holly Hartzmark, a former showgirl who’s looking to bring Mel and Angie’s sweet treats to Sin City, but Mel isn’t so sure she’s ready to hand her recipes over to a complete stranger—especially one as brash as Holly.

But after the potential bakery location gets blown up, Mel begins seeing another side to Holly—one that reminds her very much of herself. Determined to help a kindred spirit, Mel sets out to discover who is trying to keep the bakery from cashing in. But with a murderous mischief maker on the loose, the odds are stacking up against a happy ending for Mel and her friends...

MY REVIEW

Another tasty installment in the Cupcake Bakery series!

Okay, I say it in just about every review I do for this
series, but the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries were my introduction to cozy
mysteries, and will always hold a special place in my heart, and on my
bookshelves.

Mel, Angie, and Tate are in Vegas in this addition to the
series, to check into opening a franchise. I enjoyed this, but I honestly
missed the comfort of hanging out at Fairy Tale Cupcakes. It’s one of my
favorite parts of the Cupcake Bakery books. But I know “road trips – and
changes of scenery” are also fun for many readers.

What I didn’t miss was the witty dialog, first class plots,
and the superb writing of author Jenn McKinlay, because VANILLA BEANED had all
of that in spades! Yes, you can take the characters out of their element, but
you can’t take the perfection out of the characters or the story.

If you are a fan of the series, you’ll love adding VANILLA
BEANED to your collection. Never read the series? Do it! Now! Go buy the, all
and read them back to back. I promise you’re in for a sweet treat!

Make sure to check the back
of the book for amazing recipes, and a sneak peek at McKinlay’s newest Library
Lover’s Mystery, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

KILLER TAKEOUT

Book 7 in the Key West Food Critic Mysteries

by Lucy Burdette

From the national bestselling author of Death with All the Trimmings.

It’s Fantasy Fest at Key West, and food critic Hayley Snow is ready to celebrate. But a killer seems intent on crashing the party. . .

Every year, Key West’s weeklong Mardi Gras–style festival has tourists and locals alike lining up for costumed revelry and delicious eats. Key Zest magazine has assigned Hayley to write a piece on the fest’s grab-and-go food, so she’s planning on hitting up the mobile eateries while checking out the party preparations.

Hayley’s office mate, Danielle, recently elected Queen of Fantasy Fest, is also buzzing between festivities and fundraisers. But when a former royal rival gets taken out, Hayley needs to put down her party hat and her pen and figure out who served up a side of murder—before Danielle gets crowned a killer. . .

MY REVIEW

KILLER TAKEOUT is a feast of fun!

You would think seven books into a series, an author might
be running out of ideas. IF that is true, someone forgot to give author Lucy
Burdette the memo because the Key West Food Critic Mysteries keep getting
better and better!

Murder meets Key West style Mardi Gras. You know you’re in
for an exciting read after that sentence, don’t you? You’d be right! There was
so much going on in KILLER TAKEOUT, I could never find a point where I wanted
to take a break from the book. I normally brake at a new chapter, but with this
story. I just kept getting drawn back in. How could I not? Not only was the
story spectacular, but each chapter started off with a quote from a person or
book that was so interesting I simply had to keep reading.

If you’re looking for it, KILLER TAKEOUT has it! Murder,
mystery humor, great food, nudity…what?! LOL It’s not what you think, but
you’ll have to read it to find out more, ;-)

Returning fans to this series will not be disappointed. If
you are new to the series, you can read KILER TAKEOUT, without feeling lost.
However, it will make you want to go back and read the rest of the series!

Be sure to take a look in
the back of the book for mouthwatering sweet and savory recipes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

MOSS HYSTERIA

Book 18 in the Flower Shop Mysteries

by Kate Collins

Abby and Marco’s new neighborhood isn’t as rosy as it seems in the latest Flower Shop Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Florist Grump and A Root Awakening.

Flower shop owner Abby Knight and her husband, Marco, are ecstatic to finally be moving into their new home, despite the prospect of unpacking a seemingly infinite number of boxes. After all, Brandywine—their new subdivision—seems like an oasis with its welcoming neighbors and beautifully manicured lawns.

But their idyllic community is suddenly uprooted when a body is found floating in a nearby pond. The police think Abby and Marco’s helpful next door neighbor is the culprit, but the newlyweds aren’t convinced.

Meanwhile, Marco distrusts his mother’s slick new boyfriend, and Abby’s cousin Jillian has agreed to decorate their new home, resulting in comic chaos. Even worse, as Abby and Marco dig through Brandywine’s secrets in search of a killer, they discover that some flowers come from very bad seeds...and danger stalks even the sunniest small-town streets.

MY REVIEW

Another bloom in an already amazing garden of stories!

I wasn’t surprised when
Hallmark optioned the Flower Shop Mysteries for TV movies. After reading MOSS
HYSTERIA, I’m truly hoping this book makes it to the screen!

I was hooked from the beginning
of MOSS HYSTERIA. Humor, and a touch of something a bit militant Stepford Wifey
(LOL, that could be just me) greeted me on the first couple of pages. Some
lovely and not so lovely new characters are introduced. And, author Kate
Collins brought the discovery of the body in very early. Seriously, this book
was started off at high speeds!

Fast paced, action packed, and
an all around brilliant mystery, I was on the edge of my seat more often than
not, and had more than a few scenes where I found myself holding my breath. I
was so absorbed in this story, I read it in one setting! Honestly, I stayed
planted in my recliner, and you’re going to be rooted to the spot as well when
you read MOSS HYSTERIA!

There’s a teaser in the
back of the book for the April 2017 release, YEWS WITH CAUTION, book 19 in the
Flower Shop Mysteries!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

BREACH OF CRUST

Book 5 in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries

by Ellery Adams

Plate up another slice of Southern magic and mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Lemon Pies and Little White Lies . . .

PIE SHELLS AND DEATH BELLES

Ella Mae LeFaye’s delicious pies are still drawing long lines—as well as the attention of Beatrice Burbank, president of the Camellia Club, a philanthropic organization comprised of high-society Southern ladies from the charming and affluent town of Sweet Briar, Georgia. To ensure the success of their centennial dessert cookbook, Bea hires Ella Mae to teach the tasty tricks of her trade to the club’s members at their annual retreat. Eager to work on new recipes for customers with food allergies and dietary restrictions, Ella Mae readily agrees.

A Magically, phenomenal treat that is a delicious read from
cover to cover!

BREACH OF CRUST is by far the best installment of the
Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries. Author
Ellery Adams really pulled out all her tricks, and cast a spell on me with this
wonderful story.

Filled with magic, action, mystery, and more, BREACH OF
CRUST captured me from chapter one. With every page I turned I was transfixed
by this book. A perfect plot that moved quickly and fluidly, this story was
everything I have come to expect from a tale by Adams. It really pulled at my
heart, and by the conclusion I had run a full gambit of emotions until
finishing on a happy high.

More than a cozy mystery, more than a para-cozy, BREACH OF
CRUST was adventurous, intriguing, thought provoking, and beautiful I would say
this story is worthy of a screen adaption, although, I don’t feel it would do
the book justice.

Continue reading when the story is done for enchanting
recipes, and an excerpt from MURDER IN THE SECRET GARDEN, the latest in the
Book Retreat Mysteries also penned by Ellery Adams!

Note: I’d like to thank Ellery
Adams for her dedication to all who have been touched by cancer. This disease
has taken more than one loved one from me, and even today is stealing another
one away.

All four of these wonderful titles are available April 5!

Pre-order your copies now!

Note from Lisa: I'm sorry about the formatting of today's blog. For reasons I can't explain, once in awhile, things just don't want to go where I put them.

LOL But then, when things look a little off kilter, they have that certain Lisa flare, don't you think? ;-)